A Grade 9 student has been arrested in Migori County following the alleged killing of his 17-year-old classmate in what police say began as a dispute over learning materials at school.
The 17-year-old suspect, a student at Akonjo Junior Secondary School in Uriri Sub-county, is accused of attacking his classmate with a panga on the evening of July 22 as the victim walked home from school. The injured student was rushed to Migori Level Four Hospital but died while undergoing treatment.
Kamgundho Location Chief Samuel Onjiko said he personally apprehended the suspect before handing him over to officers at Uriri Police Station, where he remains in custody pending arraignment on a murder charge.
According to Onjiko, preliminary investigations trace the tragedy back to a disagreement earlier that morning, when the suspect accused the deceased of interfering with his locker. What began as a routine schoolyard quarrel is believed to have escalated into a premeditated act of violence.
Investigators say the suspect deliberately skipped afternoon classes after the lunch break, and believe he used that time to plan the attack he allegedly carried out later that evening.
“Investigations suggest that the suspect left school activities after the lunch break and did not attend afternoon classes,” Onjiko said, adding that police believe this gap gave him the opportunity to prepare for the assault.
The victim’s body has been moved to the Migori Level Four Hospital mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination as detectives continue gathering statements and evidence to establish the full circumstances of the incident.
The killing has shocked the local community and reignited concern over rising cases of violence among learners in Kenyan schools. It comes just weeks after a 16-year-old Grade 10 student at Thika High School died following a physical confrontation with a classmate over a disagreement linked to evening prayers.
The back-to-back incidents have fuelled growing unease among teachers, parents and education stakeholders over learner behaviour and conflict resolution in schools this year.
Authorities have called on students to embrace peaceful ways of resolving disputes and urged parents, teachers and community leaders to work together in guiding young people away from violence, warning that unresolved tensions among learners can escalate with tragic consequences if left unaddressed.
